The Chari Solar Trough Cooker is designed to have the cooking surface indoors. This is accomplished by having the trough style solar collector mounted on the roof, or other suitable sunny location. The reflector uses a novel simplified one-axis tracking system. Sun rays are focussed unto a pipe containing water to create steam. The steam is sent to the kitchen through insulated pipes and passes through a heat exchanger, which then heats the cooking table.

R.B. Chari, working in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India is the designer. The cooking surface is similar to a more conventional kitchen gas range cooktop. The steam, separated by the heat exchanger, means there is no direct contact with cooking utensils. The unit has been tested in India, and it is able to provide adequate heat to cook from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. without using the steam accumulator. With the steam accumulator, cooking can be done at any time. The cooking system is currently available for $2,136 USD. This design is available for others to commercialize. Contact R.B. Chari for further information.